Tuesday, Sept. 23, 1997 | 10:10 a.m.
COURY HANKINS must backtrack three years to remember what it was like to be a starter.
"Sometimes I go home and watch my high school highlight tapes," said Hankins, who suddenly finds himself UNLV's top running back heading into Saturday's 7:05 p.m. homecoming affair against Division I-AA Illinois State. "You look at the tapes and really can't believe you can still make plays like that."
Hankins ran for 2,100 yards and 33 touchdowns -- seven in one game -- his senior year at South Mountain High in Phoenix. He relives those glory days for inspiration, but now he needs to look no further than Saturday night's game film to realize what he can do.
In UNLV's 25-15 victory over Hawaii, Hankins replaced the injured Rodrick Johnson late in the first quarter and rushed 29 times for 125 yards. It was the most rushing yards in a game for a Rebel since Tony Burton and Shannon Wilson both surpassed that figure against North Texas in 1995.
Hankins' output more than made up for his major miscue, when he fumbled away the opening kickoff. Also helping was a Rainbow fumble three plays later to get the Rebels' top return man off the hook.
"He was big," Rebel head coach Jeff Horton said. "He made some tough yards when there wasn't room, and then when there was some space he turned a 5-yard gain into a 10- or 12-yard gain."
The Rebels require such production on a regular basis with the loss of Johnson, who is out for the year while recovering from a dislocated right hip.
Horton claims the Rebels' strategy will not change with a new starter. Hankins is an elusive, 5-foot-9, 185-pound sophomore. Johnson was a bruising, 5-11, 230-pound senior.
"Our play calling will be no different," said Horton, who also plans to use James Wofford and Trevan Sorensen in the backfield. "We don't change our offense based on what back is back there. Both (Hankins and Johnson) play well within the system."
The stats prove Horton's point. Through three games, Johnson had 37 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Hankins has 36 attempts for 156 yards and no scores.
But the fact Hankins has yet to reach the end zone in his collegiate career does not stop him from dreaming about it.
"I think it would be pretty nice to get that first college touchdown," he said, a sly grin creeping across his face. "But after that first one, they'll all be the same -- just like high school. You gotta expect it, and when you get there, you can't act like you've never been there before."
Extra points
* TIES THAT BIND: Illinois State landed on UNLV's schedule due to the friendship between their head coaches. Redbirds head coach Todd Berry was a member of former Rebel boss Jim Strong's staff in the spring of 1991 but left before the season started. While he was in Las Vegas, Berry lived with current UNLV head coach Jeff Horton and his wife, Teri. "Todd is a class guy," Horton said. "He called with the interest of playing in Vegas. It was a good game for them, both with recruiting and with their boosters." ... Illinois State offensive coordinator John Bond was at UNLV within the same time frame as Berry. ... Berry also is familiar with UNLV defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill. At East Carolina in 1992, Berry coordinated the offense and McNeill the defense.
* THE INTERCEPTOR: Rebel safety Randy Black is tied for 13th in the nation in interceptions per game with 0.67. Black has two interceptions in three games this season. Bobby Coffman led the Rebels last year with two in eight games. Black, a Clark High alum, should at least be tied for second in the nation at 1.33 per game, or four interceptions in three games. Black flat-out dropped two balls against Hawaii and could have snagged one on a brilliant play at Nevada-Reno. "After I dropped my second one (Saturday night), I got back to the sideline and everybody was saying 'What were you thinking? You could be leading the nation'" Black said. "But I can't worry about that. I want to get one every game. If I do that, I can be Freshman All-WAC. I want to be known as one of the best freshmen in the WAC."
* GRID TIDBITS: UNLV has played only one other opponent from the Gateway Conference. Southwest Missouri State beat the Rebels 31-24 in 1990. ... Illinois State has never faced a Western Athletic Conference team and has played only three games west of the Central time zone. One was its 44-13 loss at Southern Utah in this year's season opener. The Redbirds flew in and out of McCarran International Airport for that game in Cedar City, Utah. ... Illinois State nose guard Greg Brown has rushed seven times for nine yards. Three of the 6-foot-1, 260-pound sophomore's carries are for touchdowns and three more are for first downs on fourth-and-1 situations.
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